Lakers vs. Kings Preview: Is there any hope left for this team?

At this point, I no longer have the words to describe how awful the Los Angeles Lakers have been for the past 14 months. After starting their first 11 games with just two wins and their recent four straight blowout losses, the purple and gold now stand with the second-worst record in the league (2-9) and are looking more miserable, hopeless, sad, dispirited, and incompetent as each game passes.

And for as much as I want to talk about whether or not this Lakers team can still improve and shake off their rocky start, that shouldn’t be the question at this point because they haven’t found any answers in what has seemed to become two consecutive nightmare seasons in a row. It’s as if they continue to hit rock bottom with no solution in sight. The real question that should be asked though is, if there is any more hope left in this Lakers team (or organization in general) — not just this present but also for the future.

Because baring a miraculous trade that would bring a “mystery” superstar (who we now know is Bradley Beal) to Los Angeles, or finally letting go of those two precious draft picks to improve the roster, this Lakers team is on the verge of yet another historically disastrous season. In fact, if we thought last year was the worst season in franchise history, this year might have something to say about that. History isn’t on the side of this year’s Lakers team in terms of success moving forward.

But this Lakers team as it stands has no choice but to look for a sign of hope moving forward. Luckily for them, their schedule this time is so much lighter than it was at the start of the season, as they begin their most winnable stretch of games this month against the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Will they finally be able to outscore their opponents from start to finish? Will they at the very least resolve their ongoing third-quarter issues? Heck, can this team actually win a game without needing LeBron James and Anthony Davis to play like it’s Game 7 of a Playoff series?

So far, the answers to those questions are nowhere to be found. And given that it’s too early in the season to lose hope and frankly give up (unless they already have), Los Angeles will be stuck in this position for a while — unless a significant change is made over the next couple of days, or even weeks.

The least this team can do (from top to bottom) is to look for that glimmer of light amidst all the darkness they’ve been surrounded with for the past 14 months. We’ll find out if they can start doing just that against the Kings on Friday.

Notes and Updates

• The Lakers are stumbling upon a Kings team (4-6) that’s actually playing quite decent. They currently have the 12th-best offensive in the league (113.5) spearheaded by our old friend Malik Monk, De’Aron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, and crew. This is the same team that gave the defending champions Golden State Warriors a hard time in their matchup last Monday. Expect this team to come out competitive and hungry as they make a push for their first playoff berth in 16 years.
• LeBron James, who suffered an adductor strain in the fourth period of Wednesday’s game versus the L.A. Clippers is doubtful to play on Friday against the Kings. This is just horrible news for the Lakers, who just cant seem to catch a break with their health issues over the past two seasons. Similar to Monday’s loss to the Jazz, expect Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook to play high minutes to make up for James’ absence.

• As for the Kings, no player is listed on their injury report for Friday’s game.
• It was a news filled day on Laker land (are we surprised?) today. NBA insider Chris Haynes released a report on Bleacher Report about the latest scoops surrounding the team right now. According to Haynes, the Lakers are reportedly interested in acquiring Bradley Beal to team up with James and Davis. While Haynes also reported that Westbrook’s trade stock has apparently risen over the past couple of weeks as the Lakers have recently received trade inquiries for the former All-Star guard. You can get all caught up and read all the recent reports about the Lakers on our site today.
• For news around the league, it seems every NBA city edition jersey for this season has been released. The Lakers in particular are alluding their new white, black and purple threads to how to transform a blank page into a world of possibility with the tagline “Leave a Legacy” imprinted on the cloth.

The Lakers and King will tip off at 7:30 p.m. PT on Friday. The game will only be televised locally on Spectrum SportsNet.

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